Not So Conformist After All
by CriminalChaos
Summary: He was staring. He was always staring. Firkle couldn't understand why Ike Broflovski, hockey star and child genius, was always watching him. Before he realised it, he was watching him back. Maybe Ike wasn't as conformist as Firkle thought. DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot! Please read and review and most of all enjoy! [Side Story]
1. Stalker Freak

**Hey again guys! As it has been much requested by my first follower/reviewer/fan/everything Apotts I have decided to write it! This fic is a side story from my ther fic** ** _Undead, English and Ravens_** **although you don't need to have read that to read this, they can be read completely individually, it's just that this will occasionally mention aspects of the other story. Unlike my ther fic I haven't already written most of this, I have only just started it so my updates may not be as regular if I get stuck in a writing slump so I apologise for that in advance... This first chapter is rather short compared to my other stories because it's kind of a tester to see what people think. I don't know how long I should make this story either so your feedback will be increadibly helpful with this one! Anyway that's enough from me. On with the story!**

Firkle was sitting on the steps, leaning against the back wall of the school building with his earphones in blaring music as he inhaled his nicotine fix and allowed his mind to wander.

Today was another day where Firkle was attending school alone, his older companions skipping due to being too tired or too hungover or both from the concert they attended the night prior, he was 13 now and they still refused to take him along with them when they left the town over night. "Dicks" he mumbled, now closing his eyes he thought back to one of the other times he was left to fend for himself at school.

 _It was the end of the school day and Firkle was at his locker gathering his books; this being one of the rare days that he actually stayed in school for all of his lessons, the only reason being that the rest of his friends had left him to go to some concert the night before and hadn't turned up at school the next day. "Assholes" he muttered under his breath._

 _They would always take him anywhere with them, usually even most concerts, the exception being when they had to travel to a different town because 'Firkle you're too young to go so far over night' or 'When you're 16 or at least 15 we'll take you' Firkle found it very annoying when they said those things because he knew he was the youngest in the group and he hated it so being reminded of his age always put a damper on his mood. So what if he was 12 and small for his age, mentally he was a lot older and generally he was more mature than Pete._

 _He huffed in annoyance as he slammed his locker shut and turned to head out of the school._

 _As he turned however he noticed a boy further down the hallway, Firkle appreciated the boys black distressed jeans and accompanying combat boots but as his eyes wandered up he noticed the bright blue hoodie, a trademark of one of his classmates. He looked up and saw the familiar jet black hair, much the same colour as his own, cut to just cover the boy's eyebrows with a kind of messy 'bed head' style. It was the Canadian kid Ike, he could never remember his last name, it was a miracle he could even remember his first name with how little he attended class._

 _It was only then that he realised Ike was staring, Firkle glanced around quickly to see what he was staring at assuming that someone was about to try prank him or something, seeing that no one else was paying any attention to the goth he looked back at Ike who was still staring only now he was grinning. Firkle was confused but he quickly lost interest, opting to glare at the slightly younger boy before turning and walking away._

He didn't know exactly when or why it had started, Ike Broflovski watching him, all he knew was that he found it incredibly strange. That was the first time he had noticed the boys watchful eyes and since then he has found it hard not to notice when he was being stared at like he was some kind spectacle. He had learnt Ike's last name now due to the teachers and other students often talking about him, he was supposedly some kind of genius and that's why he started school halfway through kindergarten when he was 3 years old unlike most of the other students, including Firkle, who were around 5 at the time. The teachers fawned over him being a genius and the students obsessed over him being the hockey star of the school, often competing with the older age groups, he seemed like the perfect student theoretically. But Firkle knew he wasn't how he seemed. Firkle was the one who saw him when he was smirking to himself over nothing or when he had that cold, blank look on his face when he thought no one else as looking. There was something more to Ike Broflovski and much to Firkle's annoyance it piqued his curiosity.

 _What's up with that fucking conformist he's such a freak._

Firkle then felt his phone vibrate on his lap and opened his eyes to retrieve it, his previous thoughts dissipating instantly.

 _Bitch: Hey Firkle wanna come over to mine tonight? I'm really sorry for not coming in today but you can stay over and I'll make it up to you :) x_

He tried not to smile but couldn't help it, he really enjoyed spending time with Henrietta she was like a big sister to him and always knew how to comfort him when something was secretly wrong, at least no one was around to see the out of character act.

 _You: Ugh fine._

He frowned once he replied and typed out another message.

 _You: Will the fag and the dick be joining us?_

He was referring to Pete and Michael, he didn't hate them or anything he just occasionally preferred to spend time with Henrietta alone.

Her reply came fast as if she knew he was going to ask.

 _Bitch: No boys allowed tonight, us bitches gotta stick together ;) x_

Firkle snickered at that and allowed himself to smile more openly, he finished his cigarette before typing back his reply.

 _You: Ok bitch I'll head over after school_

He then docked out his cigarette end with his heavy black boot as he stood up, he then put his phone in the pocket of his black jeans and turned to go around the corner and head back into school. When he did he collide face first into something, or more specifically some _one._

The smile on his face was replaced with a scowl as he prepared himself to glare at the person who had blocked his path. He was met with the cocky grin of Ike Broflovski.

 _Fucking great._

"Watch where you're going dick" He spat out before sidestepping the slightly taller boy and beginning to walk away.

"See you in class Firkle!" Chimed a voice behind him, the goth berated himself as he faltered in his step momentarily but continued walking on, flipping Ike off over his shoulder as he did so.

 _That's the first time he's spoken to me..._


	2. Conformist Crush

**Updates won't always come this fast but I thought that the first chapter was a little too short. This one isn't much longer but it should keep you satisfied until I post the next chapter! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Also, I was undecided on whether Firkle should become easily embarrassed or if he should easily keep his cool and I think I'll incorporate a little bit of both throughout the story, opinions would be great!**

The bell rang signalling the end of the day, Firkle swiftly shoved his history books in his bag and headed out of the classroom. He would never admit it but he was excited to hang out with Henrietta, he hadn't stayed over at her house in weeks and it wasn't often that they got to see each other alone without the presence of at least one of the other goths.

As he entered the hallway he was caught up in the mess that was the end of the day school rush, a mass of teenage bodies flowing quickly to their lockers then out of the building. Firkle tried to push his way through the crowd and reach his locker but cursed himself for having such a small stature and getting swept away with the river of people. There wasn't actually that many people in the hallway but Firkle got dragged along nonetheless.

A hand gripped his wrist and he was yanked from the group of boys he had got himself caught in. His face smashed against soft cotton and he jumped back, ripping himself away from his perpetrator and glared up at the other person's face. Seeing Ike's grin for the second time that day caused Firkle to roll his eyes.

"What the fuck is your problem Broflovski?" He said sharply, his good mood quickly turning sour.

Ike cocked his head to the side, still grinning he replied "You looked like you needed help, needing to get your cigarettes from your locker and all…" He motioned to Frikle's locker with a wave of his hand.

 _How the fuck did he know I was getting my cigarettes?_

"I didn't need your help. Who says I even wanted to go to my locker anyway?" He questioned hotly, swiping his fringe away from his left eye, revealing his eyebrow piercing in the process.

Ike's eyes darted to the piercing momentarily before once again locking with Firkle's, "Well you finished your last cigarette at lunch because you left the empty carton behind the school and you always keep a spare in your locker so I assumed you would want them" he said nonchalantly as if it was common knowledge and completely normal to notice those minute details about a person.

Firkle stood for a second, eyeing Ike suspiciously who in return simply kept the same grin plastered across his face, before he turned and opened his locker retrieving his spare cigarettes.

"You're really weird Broflovski" the goth muttered before turning on his heel and walking away, feeling peculiar inside, he hadn't realised that Ike was watching him and studying him so much.

 _Is it just me or does he examine everyone like that? It must be everyone, he has no reason to be so obsessed with me, he doesn't even know me._

Firkle shrugged it off and put his earphones in, beginning the trek to Henrietta's house.

Bradley, Henrietta's younger brother, answered the door when Firkle arrived at the house.

"Hey there Firkle! Henrietta is in her room" he said cheerfully, stepping aside to let Firkle inside.

Bradley was in the year above Firkle in school but he acted a lot like a child, his hair was blond and combed flat without much of a style, lack of style also showed in his clothing. He was wearing a long sleeved blue polo shirt with a red collar and a white undershirt along with some straight light blue jeans. _Lame._

Firkle nodded to him as he walked in and proceeded to make his way upstairs.

He knocked on the door before walking in and dropping his black bag onto the floor, Henrietta stood from her computer chair and quickly scurried over to Firkle, enveloping him in a comforting hug.

"How was school?" she asked pulling away from him and looking at his face, he rolled his eyes and walked towards her bed.

"Same as always, bunch of nazi conformist cheerleaders, except worse because _you_ dicks left me on my own _again_!" He accused, plopping down onto her bed and leaning down to unfasten the top two buckles on his boots before kicking them off and falling to lie on his back against the soft red comforter, allowing his eyes to drift closed.

"I'm sorry Firkle…" Henrietta apologised, he felt the mattress dip beside him soon followed by soft hands gently stroking his hair, "I felt really shitty this morning and I didn't even drink that much last night… I tried to drink less so that I could go to school with you but when I woke up I felt like utter shit… I'm sorry baby I know you hate going to school alone" she cooed and continued stroking him soothingly.

"S'fine" Firkle mumbled in return, now feeling completely relaxed "There's this weird kid at school" he stated offhandedly. Henrietta stopped stroking him for a second before continuing, she knew that for Firkle to even notice one of his classmates let alone actually mention them in conversation was a big deal, she had to be careful about this and find out as much as she could.

"Why's he weird?" She questioned softly, hoping that with how relaxed Firkle was he would continue talking.

Firkle hummed and yawned out a reply, "He always watches me" he rolled over so he was facing Henrietta's legs, still with his eyes closed. She, in return, began stroking the back of his head which had now been revealed.

"What do you mean 'always'?" She continued her questions, still in a gentle tone.

Firkle shrugged lightly, "Noticed a few month ago before my birthday, another day when I was _left alone_ " he opened his eyes to feign a glare at Henrietta who just rolled her eyes and smiled.

He had noticed months ago and still hadn't mentioned this kid or got into a fight with him? He mustn't be actually bothering Firkle then…

"Watching you for months? That is kind of weird, hasn't he spoken to you?" She asked once more, hoping that the younger goth hadn't noticed her increasing interest in the matter.

"No, he just stares…" he said quietly a second passed before his eyes suddenly opened and he sat up "Wait he _did_ talk to me!" He said a little too enthusiastically for his usually gothic demeanor, he set his expression back to neutral and added "fucking conformist freak nearly knocked me over walking into me" while examining his barely existent nail polish. Before Henrietta had time to interrogate him further on the subject he pushed his hands in her direction "Do my nails again"; this signalled the end of that conversation but Henrietta would be bringing it up again later.

They were currently splayed out on the floor beside Henrietta's bed with _Eraserhead_ playing on the TV sitting atop Henrietta's black, skull embossed dresser. "This film is totally fucked up" Firkle stated as a young boy picks up a decapitated head and takes it to a factory to be made into erasers, Henrietta glanced up from painting Firkle's fingernails and laughed at the scene on the TV.

"Wait till you see the next part, it's even more fucked. Good thing it's in black and white" She smiled to herself as she continued working on the black nails before her.

Firkle watched the film for a few minutes wondering what part Henrietta could have been talking about when the man on screen removed his alien baby's blanket to reveal what was underneath, the young goth quickly looked away "Ew sick!", he may have been a goth but he preferred suspense films over gorey films and even though the film was black and white he could still imagine the colour. "This film makes no fucking sense" he complained, glancing back at the TV only to quickly look away again.

Henrietta laughed at him, she knew this film would freak him out and his reactions were just fodder for her amusement. "I knew you'd love this film!" She tittered in mock enthusiasm, Firkle glared at her and began blowing gently on the hand she had finished painting.

After a minute or two of comfortable silence Henrietta piped up, "What was weird kid saying to you today?"she asked casually, Firkle eyed her suspiciously then shrugged.

"Nothing really, he saw me at the back of school and said he'd see me in class, bet he fucking followed me, stalker fucker…" he paused for a moment, he then sighed before muttering "At the end of school he pulled me out of a crowd in the hallway so I could get to my locker then pointed out what a stalker he is by telling me he knew I finished my last cigarette at lunch or whatever, fucking weirdo" He rolled his eyes and resumed blowing his black clad nails.

Henrietta stared at him, soaking it in, "Maybe he has some conformist crush on you" she said laughing lightly, Firkle suddenly pulled his hand away from her causing her to look up in surprise. Firkle was scowling at her intensely but that didn't hide the fact that his cheeks were currently blazing pink, "Oh my god are you blushing?!" Henrietta asked in astonishment, she had known Firkle for years but he rarely showed any face other than his indifferent expression or his common glares, the only time he ever blushed was when he was drinking so his current flustered face was something of legend.

He immediately turned his face away from her and climbed to his feet, hurrying to the door he stopped with his hand on the doorknob, "No one would have a conformist fucking crush on _me_ and I'm not fucking blushing!", he all but shouted without turning around then promptly fled the room.

Henrietta began laughing, "He's fucking _adorable_ , I'm going to have fun with this" she smirked to herself.

Firkle locked himself in the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror, his normally pale white skin now flourishing with shades of pink. He furrowed his brow and glared into his own eyes _Why the fuck am I blushing like a bitch?!_ He willed the offending blood rush to vanish.

He then examined his reflection, dark brown eyes, _boring,_ his dyed black hair falling down almost covering his left eye, _too soft for a boy also boring._

He looked at his small stature and boyish face, _Henrietta's stupid no one would be crushing on this, he's probably just planning some prank or whatever it is that conformists do,_ he laughed to himself, _What if she was joking?_ _Stupid bitch._ He smiled at his own overreaction and turned to head back to the bedroom.


	3. Tickling Is A Great Toture Technique

**I'm trying to move this one along faster so I think I've lost some of the detail I used in UE &R but hopefully it's still working and going well... Don't forget to review even if it's just to point out grammar and/or spelling mistakes! Thanks for reading!**

Re-entering the room, Firkle sat down next to Henrietta as if nothing had happened and put his hand back in her direction. In return she smiled sweetly and didn't push the topic further in fear of scaring him away, instead she took his hand and began painting the last two nails.

"What's this film? It's black and white is it another gory horror?" Firkle asked, distaste evident in his tone as he frowned slightly.

Henrietta snickered, "No it's definitely not a horror. It's called _Young Frankenstein,_ a _Woody Allen_ comedy film. I'm sure you'll love it" she hummed, now focusing on cleaning up the odd black speckles that have strayed and landed on Firkles skin.

Firkle did end up enjoying the film and even laughed a few times at its stupidity, just as it was ending Henrietta's phone rang, the sound of _Sick Puppies_ filling the room.

She glanced at Firkle and rolled her eyes before answering it, "Hello?"

Her eyes widened slightly and she rose her eyebrows, "Oh hey Stan…?" She said sounding a little confused, "Erm what's up?", Firkle glanced over to her now, curious as to why Raven would be calling her.

 _Did they stay in contact after he left our group? Why hasn't she mentioned talking to him before? Why would he just call her randomly?_

She listened for a few seconds before finally replying, "Yeah sure you can talk to me erm after school tomorrow?" She suggested, thinking they could go to Tweek Bros. to talk.

She smiled wryly, "Yeah ok, tomorrow then, bye" she said before putting the phone down and turning to Firkle. "Why the fuck did _Stan Marsh_ just call me saying he needed someone to talk to?" She said, surprise clear on her face.

Firkle shrugged and turned away, "conformist wanna be goth better not think he can join our group again" he muttered pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and walking towards Henrietta's bedroom window to open it before lighting up.

Henrietta seemed thoughtful for a moment, "Totally right" she agreed before collecting her cigarette holder and lighting herself a smoke.

They spent the rest of the night watching films, listening to music and talking about different things, Henrietta described the gig to Firkle who listened while hiding his jealousy well and she told him that her and the guys had discussed taking him to one for his 14th birthday which made him brighten up considerably, eventually they clambered into Henrietta's bed and fell asleep.

"Henrietta! I made breakfast!" a chipper voice called out as the purple curtains were ripped open, allowing a beam of sunlight to pool out over Firkle and Henrietta who were still asleep. Firkle groaned loudly and shuffled under the covers.

Henrietta's eyes sleepily blinked open, straining against the light, to see Bradley standing beside her with the sun shining behind him causing his hair to glow like a halo around his head.

"Bradley…" she mumbled as she sat up and beckoned him over with a finger.

He smiled innocently and walked over, "what's up?" He asked leaning in to hear her reply.

Henrietta smirked, dragged him onto her bed and began an assault tickling his sides.

Bradley burst out laughing hysterically, his face quickly turning pink and his eyes started watering.

"St-stop!" He yelled through his laughter, making a futile attempt to escape.

"What have I told you about coming in my room and opening my curtains?" Henrietta said sternly, not letting up on her assault.

"I'm so- I'm sorry!" Bradley panted out, still laughing manically tears now streaming down his cheeks. Firkle groaned again and sat up to glare at them both, he would have laughed at Bradley's pained tear stained face but he was too angry at being woken up too early.

Henrietta glanced at Firkle and smirked but upon seeing his scowl she rolled her eyes and stopped attacking her younger brother.

"What did you make me to eat?" She asked him, her hands poised at his sides as a threat in case he gave the wrong answer.

Bradley was still panting and giggling through his words, "C-Coffee and bacon sandwiches" he flinched when Henrietta moved.

She pulled her hands away instead of tickling him again, "good enough, now leave we'll be down in a few minutes" Bradley grinned and jumped up before running out of the room.

"Well that was fucking gay" Firkle said as he sat at the edge of the bed and stretched his arms above his head.

Suddenly Henrietta's hands were at his sides pinching and squeezing, he instantly collapsed in on himself and fell to the bed laughing, "f-fuck off!" He shouted angrily, trying and failing to remove her hands.

"It's a great torture technique, it's not _gay_ " Henrietta said with a smirk as she grabbed her phone and quickly snapped a photo of Firkle's face.

He rolled off the bed and crawled away from her, "you fucking bitch" he spat while wiping his watery eyes, she just shot him a sickeningly sweet smile.

He got up and walked over to her large black dresser and went to the third drawer, pulling it open revealed a variety of boys clothes. They were a mix of Pete's, Michael's and Firkle's that they had all left there at some point, mostly Firkle's and Pete's because they stayed over a lot and needed clothes to change into the next day so they just left some for future use.

He rooted through and pulled out a plain black, long sleeved button down shirt, deciding to just wear the black jeans he wore the day before he headed to the bathroom to change.

 _Fucking bitch tickling me, better not fucking show anyone that picture!_

Henrietta had gotten changed by the time Firkle went back in her room, she was wearing another extravagant dress consisting of a black and red bodice with a choppy black hemmed skirt, she was currently applying makeup at her mirror. Firkle walked over to his bag and grabbed his eyeliner before joining Henrietta at the mirror.

"Bitch you better not show anyone that photo" he warned as he applied his usual makeup.

Henrietta smirked as she applied her black lipstick "I wouldn't dare".

When they were both ready Firkle grabbed his bag and boots and they went downstairs, Henrietta had a sandwich and a cup of coffee whereas Firkle only had coffee, his stomach wasn't used to eating straight after waking up so he didn't usually eat until lunch as school or sometimes he would grab a cereal bar or something to eat during break or if he skipped a lesson.

Firkle didn't particularly enjoy having breakfast with Bradley, he was always so bright and cheerful, the opposite of Henrietta and himself, he wouldn't be so bad if he would just follow in his sister's footsteps and turn goth.

Not long after finishing their breakfast they heard a car horn outside, "Ugh the prick's here" Firkle grumbled as he dropped his mug into the sink.

"Language!" Bradley scolded, _He's way too innocent to be older than me._ Firkle flipped him off as he and Henrietta walked out of the kitchen earning a look of pure disgust.

"Let's get out of here before I catch some of your gay brother's lameness" he said rolling his eyes and leaving the house.

Henrietta followed him out and closed the door behind them, "Don't talk shit about my lame gay brother" she warned jokingly.

Henrietta sat in her usual seat in the front of the car and Firkle sat in the back, and leaned his head against the window, Michael didn't question him being at Henrietta's because it was fairly normal. Henrietta smiled at Michael as a greeting before she put a CD in the player, soon the car was filled with music and Michael set off towards Pete's house.

Once at school Firkle said bye to the gang then headed towards the lower section of the school.

 _I wish I was older so I could go to class with them, at least it's Friday so I don't have to be around these conformist fuckers much longer._

He walked into his classroom and dropped into his chair by the window, staring out of the window at the people still mulling around he noticed two magpies fighting over a piece of bread, now inspired he began doodling them in his notebook, replacing the slice of bread with a severed hand.

So engrossed in his gruesome drawing he didn't notice people had begun filing in and the class was almost full, when the teacher cleared his through Firkle spared him a quick glance before returning to his masterpiece.

"Firkle would you care to pay attention?" A low voice drawled from somewhere near the front of the class. Firkle sighed.

"No I wouldn't _care_ to, but thanks for asking" he said back, not bothering to look up from his notebook, he wasn't in a cooperative mood today and the teacher knew this.

Firkle guessed that by the change in lighting the teacher was now standing in front of his desk but he still refused to give in and look up. "Firkle" the same low voice said in a warning tone.

Finally he relented and looked up, sighing heavily, "Yes, _Sir_?" He challenged, staring directly into the teacher's muddy brown eyes smirking. His matching brown hair was visibly receding and greying causing it to look old and dull.

"If you don't _care_ to pay attention then I don't _care_ to have you in my class. Please leave." He spat, pointing to the classroom door.

Firkle grabbed this things and stood up, "Gladly" he snapped before briskly walking away, he heard a snicker and caught a glimpse of a familiar grin as the door closed behind him.

 _Fucking Ike_


	4. Of Bathrooms And Blushing

**Surprise!**

 **I bet you're all thinking "Wow! Has she risen from the dead?!"**

 **And I'll have you know I am** ** _VERY_** **sorry for not posting in so long!**

It's been almost a year yikes

 ** _didn't_** **I hope things get better. I got a job and my mum broke her hip so I've been** ** _very_** **busy but I didn't stop thinking about my fanfics and I feel just terrible for abandoning them for so long. But I promise I will complete them eventually so don't hate me too much. They're both fully planned out and everything!**

Sorry for the overly long author's note...

 **Now, on with the story!**

Firkle walked to the back of the school like normal and pulled his cigarettes out of his bag, he placed one between his lips and swiftly lit it, inhaling deeply.

He sunk to the floor as he rummaged through his bag till he came across his phone and earphones, holding his cigarette between his lips he quickly untangled the earphones before putting them in his ears.

Finding a decent song that he was actually in the mood to listen to took a while but eventually he pressed play and, exhaling a lungful of smoke, he dropped his head back against the cool brick wall behind him.

 _Why was Ike laughing? Was he laughing_ at _me or did the conformist actually find it amusing when I shouted at that imbecile teacher? Whatever, he's a fucking weirdo…_

Firkle pushed the thought of the Canadian away as he let the music course through him and the nicotine relax his muscles.

Minutes passed and the song changed, soon Firkle's leg began to bounce and tremble slightly. Groaning at the unwelcome pull of his bladder, he opened his eyes and took one last deep drag from the remainder of his cigarette before docking it out and rising to his feet. He put his phone back in his bag and briskly walked back into school.

 _At least there isn't a high chance of there being a fucking conformist in the bathroom seeing as though class just started a while ago._

He walked in once he reached the nearest bathroom, feeling slight relief when he saw that it was empty, and walked over to the furthest urinal.

After he had finished his business he went to the sink to wash his hands. No sooner had he turned the tap on the door behind him opened, groaning internally he glanced up into the mirror and in the reflection saw the signature smirk and blue hoodie that made his skin prickle.

"Fancy seeing you here!" a cocky voice said from the intruder at the door.

Firkle sighed and rolled his eyes, "Are you seriously stalking me or do you just like to meet guys in bathrooms?" he mocked, continuing to wash his hands.

Ike just smirked and crossed his arms, "Well I don't stalk you and meeting guys in bathrooms isn't really my thing but I wouldn't mind if it was _you_ I was meeting…" He said suggestively, cocking and eyebrow and tilting his head to the side while sweeping his gaze over Firkle's figure.

The smaller of the two felt his skin heat up as he watched Ike's eyes in the mirror, "Fuck you" he mumbled while moving to dry his hands, feeling a spike of irritation mixed with embarrassment when he heard how breathy his voice was.

Ike frowned and stepped closer, "What's wrong?" he asked when Firkle didn't turn around, actually sounding concerned.

The latter finally turned to face him, if only to glare at him. "Nothing. Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be back in class kissing the teacher's ass like the good little conformist you are?" he answered derivatively, Ike smiled again.

"Well after your little argument with him he was in a bad mood so I told him I was leaving, kissing ass doesn't taste half a good when the other person is tense" he added jokingly.

Firkle fought the urge to laugh and opted to frown instead. "And what? He just let you leave?" he questioned skeptically, knowing they had one of the strictest teachers he searched Ike's face for any indication he was lying.

Ike shrugged, "I'm blackmailing him, it can't get out that he has a student actually kiss his ass regularly" he said seriously; this time Firkle couldn't help the corners of his mouth twitching upwards momentarily. Ike grinned at the minor reaction but didn't comment on it, "Nah, teachers don't really care if I attend my regular classes or not, they know if I miss something it'll be easy for me to catch up. Perks of being a genius _conformist_ I guess" he explained properly, his grin turning into a smirk as he exaggerated the mimicked word.

Firkle rolled his eyes for what felt like the fiftieth time, acting uninterested "Clearly you're abusing that power just so you can stalk me" he stated causing Ike to laugh.

"Ok yeah, I guess you could call it stalking but it's not like I follow you home or anything" he admitted, Firkle frowned at how much that _didn't_ sound like a joke. Ike smiled and shrugged, "You're… interesting" he finished.

"Wh-" Firkle began before he was rudely cut off by the lunch bell.

Ike glanced at his watch then took one of Firkle's hands in his own, "Gotta go, see you around _babe_ " he said with a wink as he gave the hand a squeeze.

Firkle quickly snatched it back, a look of horror setting on his face. He stood in shock, clutching the soiled hand as he watched Ike leave the room. Promptly hurrying to return behind the school, he caught a glimpse of his reflection, dread set in his stomach and he all but ran out of the room.

 _Why the fuck am I blushing?! Did he see?! Why am I so freaked out and WHY did he hold my fucking hand?!_

As he grew closer to his destination he slowed to a walk, hoping the other goths weren't there yet. To his dismay, two sets of eyes landed on him as he rounded the corner.

 _Of course they're fucking here already, nothing can ever go my way._

"Where've you been?" Pete questioned from his place beside Henrietta.

"Nowhere" Firkle replied casually, dropping down beside his bag which he had left there. Now cursing himself for doing so as it gives the others a hint at how long he'd been gone.

Pete looked skeptical, "You left your bag and we've been here for like ten minutes" he prodded, now curious as to where his younger friend had been. Henrietta was also interested although she hid it by focusing on her phone screen.

 _Of course he'd notice how long I've been and of COURSE he would interrogate me._

Firkle sighed, "I went for a piss. Is that ok, your fucking highness?" he replied sarcastically, trying to end the conversation so he could work through his internal freak out in peace.

"Fucking defensive much" Pete murmured, glancing at Henrietta before returning his attention to his phone.

 _Fuck._

"I'm not being fucking defensive I'm just in a bad mood from arguing with Mr Connors, fucking dick" he explained, half telling the truth. Not wanting to restart the conversation he then pulled out his notebook and began adding to his bird drawing, allowing his mind to avoid returning to his previous freak out.

Soon after, Michael showed up. Henrietta turned to him as he sat next to her a lit himself a cigarette, "Michael, before I forget, I don't need a ride home today" she stated causing both Michael and Pete to look at her confused.

"Why?" Michael asked, trying to sound apathetic but Firkle picked up on his concern.

"Just… I'm meeting someone after school is all" she explained vaguely.

 _I wonder why she didn't tell them it was Raven she was meeting…_

Firkle continued his drawing but listened to the conversation discretely.

"Who are you meeting?" Pete questioned, both of them remained staring at her.

She sighed loudly, "God I'm meeting Stan ok? I didn't wanna tell you two because I _knew_ you'd both get pissy over it" she complained before lighting a cigarette as if she expected an argument to come from it and was preparing to keep herself calm.

"Stan? As in Stan ' _wannabe Raven'_ Marsh?" Michael asked incredulously, raising both his eyebrows, which is the most expression he's shown all week.

"Yep" Henrietta affirmed, taking a deep drag and not bothering to look at Michael or Pete when she spoke.

The former barked out a humourless laugh, " _Brilliant_ " he scoffed.


	5. A Secret Hobby

**This is kind of just a filler chapter to pass some time and give you some insight into Firkle's home life. Also it's really short but there will be more Ike in the next chapter don't worry and it will be much longer! (Half way written and its already longer than this chapter)**

 **I only briefly scanned through this so I do apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes.**

 **I'm going to try get as much of this fic done as possible before I add to UE &R, I've already written some for it and just need to type it up as I said so hopefully it won't be too long.**

 **Once again sorry for the long note!**

The drive home was awkward to say the least. Michael was visibly fuming over Henrietta and Pete made it worse by bringing it up when he got in the car. Firkle almost thought Michael was going to make Pete walk home when he saw the glare he shot in his direction.

A heavy silence preceded that which only got heavier when they arrived at Pete's and he left Firkle alone, luckily he wasn't killed before they made it to his house. He didn't bother saying thank you when he got out.

Firkle was half-way up the stairs when he heard the honey coated voice of his mother. "Firkle sweetie, is that you? How was school today?" she called from the kitchen. Firkle groaned and halted his ascent.

"It was fine mum!" he called back monotonously as he did every day.

"Oh good, I hope you didn't talk back to any of your teachers!" she replied sarcastically, as she did every day.

He rolled his eyes and smiled, "Nope, everything was fine mum!" he lied, continuing his path to his room, knowing the conversation would end there like it always did.

Entering his room, he put his bag precisely in it's place on the shelf within his closet, then took off his shoes and lined them up beside the rest which were neatly beneath the shelf.

Finally, he collapsed exhausted on his bed and leaned against the headboard as he dragged his laptop onto his lap.

 _Haven't played in a while…_

After typing in his password he opened a folder he had concealed and examined its contents.

 _Guess I'll play Call Of Duty for now_

He opened the game and exhaled as it loaded, releasing some stress that had built from the week. He kept his games hidden because Michael once called him a conformist for playing them. Since then, regardless of whether he was serious or not at the time, Firkle kept it a secret that he still played.

An hour later Firkle was sitting upright focusing intently on the screen, "Ugh _fuck_!" he groaned as he was killed again by the same player. "How the fuck are they so good?!" he complained.

He was normally great at this game, he always finished in the top three and more often than not came first. But today he wasn't even in the top five.

 _It's like every time I revive they're right fucking there, waiting to kill me! I don't even get chance to kill anyone!_

He began chewing his lip when he found the person who kept killing him and started following them, waiting for the perfect moment to shoot.

A grin was slowly spreading across his features, "Got you…" he mumbled as he aimed his gun. Suddenly his bedroom door opened, "Hey Firkle-" he slammed his laptop shut and turned to shoot daggers at the intruder. Henrietta stood there looking partially shocked and confused, "Er sorry were you about to jack off or something?" she asked with a laugh.

Firkle rolled his eyes at her crudeness, "No I wasn't going to fucking ' _jack off'_ now what do you want?" he bit rudely, highly annoyed that he didn't get to kill his new nemesis.

Henrietta scoffed and raised her eyebrows as she put her hands on her hips, "Is that how you speak to me Firkle?" she scolded before walking over to him.

He sighed, "Sorry, I was… playing a game and someone annoyed me…" he mumbled as an apology.

 _Fucking prick I'll get him next time._

"Ok you're forgiven" she decided, taking a seat at the foot of his bed, "And to answer your question, I'm just here to talk", Firkle rose an eyebrow as he suspicious behaviour. "So what were you doing at lunch?" she asked casually.

Firkle put his laptop on his bedside table, "I really did go for a piss" he stated, Henrietta continued to stare at him expectantly so he sighed, " _Afterwards,_ the weird kid I was telling you about came in and wouldn't shut up trying to talk to me" he explained with a shrug.

"Oh so you left to go hang out with him? What, are you like _friends_ now or something?" she laughed causing Firkle to glare at her.

"We're not fucking friends he's just a conformist stalker freak" he defended, "He _followed_ me into the bathroom, the fucker", he then remembered what _occurred_ in the bathroom and willed his cheeks not to colour. "Anyway, what did Raven want?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Henrietta wanted to hear more about what happened in the bathroom but the tell-tale signs of a blush gave her the information she needed. "He was just asking for advice on something. It was pretty boring actually" she said nonchalantly, Firkle nodded in understanding. "So what are you doing tonight?" she asked while examining the nails she painted earlier to make sure he hadn't ruined the polish.

Firkle shrugged, "Nothing planned, probably just music, gaming, drawing, writing, the usual" he said. Henrietta was the only one who knew about his gaming hobby, she was the one he trusted most in the group, probably because Pete and Michael got bored a lot and amused themselves by picking on him.

Henrietta hummed in response, "I'd invite you over again but I'm babysitting Brad tonight" Firkle stuck his tongue out in disgust, "Yeah I figured that would be you reaction" she chuckled. The reason Firkle didn't particularly like hanging out when she had to babysit was because she was too nice, she always invited him to watch films with them so he wasn't alone.

"I'm pretty tired today anyway" He said as Henrietta stood and got ready to go.

"I'll leave you to your game then, kick the shit out of that guy who annoyed you" she giggled as she left.

Firkle smiled and grabbed his laptop, "I'll get you this time fucker".

It was around 1am now and Firkle was sitting cross legged on his bed with a notebook in his lap writing poetry. He'd got changed into something more comfortable that he wouldn't be caught dead wearing outside, he had on a blue vest and some plain black joggers. The vibration of his phone pulled his focus away from his writing.

 _Bitch: Everyone's coming to mine tomorrow night, you in? Xxx_

A smile spread across Firkle's face, obviously he would go.

 _You: Alcohol?_

 _Bitch: Maybe, but you don't have to drink, just ignore those dicks xxx_

Firkle didn't mind drinking, it was usually really fun, the problem was that he never knew how much was too much and he usually made a fool of himself somehow because he got drunk. When he _didn't_ drink Pete and Michael usually called him a pussy or something similar.

 _You: Of course I'll come, it isn't even a question_

 _Bitch: Sweet, I'll tell Michael to pick you up on his way over :) xxx_

Firkle plugged his phone in and put it on his bedside table.

He wrote poetry till he fell asleep.


	6. Special Drink

**Ok so this one is a little longer and I accidentally wrote loads extra about Firkle's relationship with his mum etc. so there'snoIkeI'msorry BUT I will upload the next chapter later today so you won't have to wait long and there will** ** _DEFINITELY_** **be pleny of Ike! Also Kaz the king I agree he's too young (I too am a hypocrite I started drinking when I was 14) But he's been smoking since kindergarten and the legal age to drink at home/private property in England is age 5 so as they're at Henrietta's house it's legal ;)**

Sunlight came through the bedroom window and seemed to make Firkle's pale skin glow. He stirred in his sleep and eventually his eyes fluttered open. His dark fringe was a mess on the front of his face and the rest of his fanned out slightly around his head as if he had a black halo, causing his skin to seem even more celestial.

Rubbing his sleepy eyes he sat up groggily and yawned. He glanced around dazed momentarily until he saw his phone, quickly unlocking the screen he checked the time.

 _10:18am?! That's way too early for a Saturday_

He groaned and reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and walked towards the door. A shiver passed through him and he looked down to see he was only in his vest and boxers. "Ugh" he quickly strode back over to his bed and yanked the covers back to reveal his joggers.

 _Must have kicked them off in my sleep again_

He quickly retrieved them and pulled them over his cold legs before heading downstairs. "Good morning honey! You're up early today" his mother chirped from where she was sitting at the table playing some game on her tablet.

"Coffee…" Firkle grumbled in response earning a chuckle.

"The kettle's just boiled sweetie" she told him cheerfully.

He shuffled over to the cupboard and grabbed his cup then proceeded to shovel two spoons of coffee into it before adding the recently boiled water.

He added a little cold water from the tap then gently blew the hot liquid before taking a small sip, reveling in the sharp bitter taste that exploded in his mouth. He felt the fire burn a trail down to his stomach and sighed happily.

"That better?" his mum asked, watching him with a warm loving smile. Firkle nodded and returned the smile.

He didn't hate his mum. As much as people assumed he would due to her being so cheerful and affectionate, in reality he loved his mum dearly although he didn't show it a lot anymore.

Firkle's father left when he was two, he didn't remember much about him other than his light mousy brown hair and matching brown eyes, much like his sons. Since then his mother had always worked extra hard at everything she did, and everything she did was for Firkle. However, when Firkle was four she was in a bad car accident where she was seriously injured and he had to stay at his aunt's house for over two weeks while she was in hospital, being so young he assumed his mother had left him like his father did. He grew distant and withdrawn at school, he wouldn't speak to anyone. That's when he met the goths. He was sitting alone one break time scribbling a black mess in a notebook when Henrietta approached him and invited him to hang out with them. A few days later he was allowed to go see his mother in hospital and not long after that, she came home. The experience of thinking he'd lost her made him treasure her all the more. Through all these years they've been alone, even with Firkle becoming more gothic, she hasn't lost her smile once.

Feeling a little sorry for his lonely mum, Firkle decided to drink his coffee at the table with her today. She glanced up, clearly surprised when he sat down beside her, and smiled at him before returning to her game. Firkle sipped his coffee and watched her play the game, she had to find objects hidden in the picture and she was struggling with the final one. Seeing the teddy bear in a box on the screen he tapped it quickly before she ran out of time. "How did you see that?! I've been sitting here ages and I couldn't see the bloody thing" she whined as she started a new round. Firkle smiled and leaned over tapping a few of the objects he could see while she found the rest. "New highscore! And I'm first place now, finally beat Sheila Broflovski!" she whooped happily, grinning at Firkle and kissing his forehead. "Thank you sweetie, we're a great team" she declared happily.

"Damn right we are" Firkle agreed, playing along and finishing his coffee. Pleased that he did something nice for his mum.

 _I like seeing her happy even if it is difficult to smile so much, my cheeks are hurting already..._

He stood and cleaned his cup before walking back up to his room.

"What to do…" he mumbled to himself, glancing around his room. Shrugging, he grabbed his laptop and sat on his bed to turn it on. Just then he noticed his phone's notification light was flashing.

Assuming it was Henrietta telling him what time to be ready at he opened it.

 _Unknown: Hey, what you up to?_

Firkle frowned at the message, he rarely gave out his phone number, the only people he spoke to were, predictably, his mum and the gang.

 _Must just be a wrong number_

He dropped his phone back onto his bed and opened a clean word document.

 _I wonder what to write this one about…_

In his spare time, as well as poetry, Firkle also liked to write short horror stories. Which usually included people from his school who had annoyed him that day.

He began typing out an opening when his phone started ringing.

 _Incoming Call: Bitch_

"Hey Henrietta" he answered without hesitation.

" _Hey Firkle, just calling to tell you Michael should be there around 6 to pick you up, okay?"_

"Yeah that's fine, I'll be ready. Should I bring anything?" he asked, wondering if she had anything specific planned.

" _Ermm nothing I can think of"_ she replied thoughtfully.

"Ok well I'll see you later, bye Henrietta" Firkle said, his attention drifting back to the story.

Once he had hung up he immersed himself in the world of nightmares as he wrote about a character who often appeared in his stories. A fat boy with combed brown hair was trapped in a world where every day a one of his worst nightmares came true and every night he dreamed up new scenarios to play out which meant he barely slept.

He was so caught up in his writing that he hadn't heard him calling him till she was standing in his doorway, "Firkle sweetie?" she said, snapping him out of his trance.

"Yeah Mum?" he asked confused as to why she came all the way upstairs instead of calling him down.

"I called you four times, didn't you hear me?" she asked, laughing lightly.

 _Oh…_

Firkle glanced back at his computer screen before looking back at her, "Sorry I was so engrossed in this I didn't hear you" He explained, "Anyway, what's wrong?"

"Oh I just wondered if you wanted something to eat, it's almost 2:30pm and you haven't eaten" she said, concern lacing her words.

Firkle frowned and looked at the time on his computer screen, then he felt a pain in his stomach as it rumbled lowly, "I was so focused on writing I didn't realise" he said, standing and stretching his arms above his head before following his mum downstairs.

"Oh you were writing again? Was it about the fat boy or the vampires?" she asked giddily.

Firkle rolled his eyes, "The fat boy, Eric" he confirmed as they entered the kitchen.

He didn't _let_ his mum read his stories but she glanced in one of his notebooks he'd left on the table once that he'd written a few stories in and she happened to read them. She hadn't read any since, saying they were too ' _scary'_ for her but she always asked about them. Firkle didn't know if she was actually interested and liked them or if she was just pretending but he liked it regardless.

"Ooh they're my favourite. You should write me a story some time you know, you have beautifully eloquent writing. Maybe I could be magic or maybe I'm in that scary place and you save me!" she rambled on enthusiastically, planning more potential stories.

 _Maybe I will write her a story, her birthday's coming up, it could be an extra present_

They ate a sandwich each and Firkle managed to sit through all her gossip about people from work, once they were both finished his mum decided she needed to go shopping and Firkle returned to his room.

By the time 6 o'clock rolled round, Firkle had changed into a slightly too big Skinny Puppy shirt, that Henrietta had bought him at a gig they went to, and some plain black jeans. Hearing Michael's car horn outside he grabbed a black hoodie and headed downstairs. "I'm going now mum" he said, popping his head into the living room where she was watching tv.

"Oh are you sleeping over or coming home?" she asked with a smile, very used to Firkle staying out overnight.

He was thoughtful for a moment, "I'm not sure yet, I'll text you later" he said before leaving.

As the door closed behind him he heard his mum call "Have fun, I love you!". He never said it back but she knew he returned the sentiment.

The ride to Henrietta's wasn't bad, it seemed Michael had gotten over the Stan ordeal so they sat in a comfortable quiet while listening to a CD Pete had put in.

They all trudged up to the door, Michael carrying a large bag. "Hey guys!" Bradley greeted enthusiastically when they knocked on the door.

 _Ugh can't Henrietta answer the door herself if she knows we're coming?_

None of them replied to his greeting as they walked in but Bradley was accustomed to it so he didn't expect one. They all walked through the house and made their way to Henrietta's room.

"Can't you get off your lazy ass and answer the door so we don't have to be burnt by that ray of sunshine you call your brother?" Pete complained as soon as they were in the room, voicing Firkle's thoughts exactly.

"What's the point in having a slave if you don't use him?" Henrietta replied sinisterly, Pete laughed.

Michael put the bag down beside Henrietta on her bed and she grinned before looking inside. "Oh great, you got the peach schnapps I asked for" she said gleefully as she pulled out the bottle before looking through the rest of the selection. "I'm guessing this is for you Pete" she handed him a bottle of spiced rum which he accepted gratefully. She then smirked at Firkle who frowned in response, "And a special drink for the baby!" she taunted while revealing a bright blue alcopop earning a bark of laughter from Pete.

Firkle snatched it off her, "Shut up I didn't ask for this" he growled angrily, examining the offensive bottle.

"I figured since you can get pretty wild I'd get you something weaker for once" Michael explained as he got his own bottle out of the bag.

 _Ugh Jack Daniels, disgusting_

"Whatever it better not taste like shit" he spat, secretly appreciative that he wouldn't be getting drunk. He sniffed it after unscrewing the top and the sickly sweet smell flooded his nostrils, he stuck out his tongue at the smell before taking a sip. The taste was as sweet as the smell and very fruity.

 _It's pretty nice actually_

"Ugh this is way too sweet" he lied and grimaced. The other three laughed at his expression and got comfortable sitting in various places around the room.

"Bradley!" Henrietta shouted loudly, seconds later her brother stuck his head through the door.

"Yeah Hen?" he asked brightly.

"Bring up four glasses and my bottles of coke and lemonade" she commanded with a wry smile. Bradley nodded then disappeared, reappearing again with the four glasses.

"I'll get your drinks now!" he rushed back downstairs, moments later returning with the requested bottles.

Henrietta passed the glasses out and began making her own drink up, "You can go now Brad" she ordered, relieving Bradley of his duties.

"I guess I see what you mean" Pete commented while mixing his rum and coke.

Henrietta put a silent film on and played some music while they all drank and talked about random things, mostly complaining about conformists from school or stuff at home. Soon it was 9pm and both Pete and Henrietta were past tipsy so they were laughing a lot more than normal and joking around like they usually did when they drank. Michael was smiling a lot more, a clear sign that he'd been drinking. Whereas Firkle was still soberer than all of them, normally he would've been bored but he was relaxed from the alcohol so he was having fun. He felt his phone vibrate on his knee and looked at it confused.

 _Must be mum asking if I'm staying over_

Unlocking his phone he saw it was the same unknown number that had texted him earlier.

 _Unknown: Hey babe, why didn't you reply?_

Firkle's eyebrows knitted together.

' _Babe'? No one calls me that who the fuck is this?_

Suddenly he remembered a certain conformist calling him that at school.

 _You: Ike?! What the fuck how did you get my number?_

He texted back furiously.

 _Unknown: Ah you figured out it was me already? And Kyle asked Stan for your number for me. Now we can be text buddies! :D_

Firkle groaned in disgust and texted back a reply before locking his phone screen again.

 _You: Fuck off._

"Oh guys! Before I forget!" Henrietta slurred, she was currently sprawled across her bed laughing at something Pete had said before he left to go to the bathroom. Firkle and Michael turned to look at her, "I'm getting a ride from Stan on Monday so you don't need to pick me up" she said in a hurry, as if saying it fast enough would lessen the impact on Michael; this didn't work however.

"What the fuck?" the taller goth bit, his voice raising.

Henrietta sighed and sat up, "You don't have to get to pissed he just asked for my help with something" she explained, rolling her eyes.

"Bullshit" he grumbled, "Fine do whatever you fucking want", he then stood and grabbed his bottle before turning to leave the room.

"Storm off then you fucking broody bitch!" Henrietta yelled after him as they heard him stomping down the stairs.

Pete finally returned and had heard the argument, "What the fuck happened?" he asked hesitantly, sensing the heavy atmosphere.

"He's been a fucking dick again! God i don't know _why_ he's so fucking easily pissed" he grunted, lighting a cigarette to calm herself down.

"I'm gonna go now anyway… Told my mum I wasn't staying out tonight" Firkle mumbled as he pulled his shoes back on and zipped up his hoodie.

"I'll walk you" Pete suggested, both not wanting to deal with Henrietta's bad mood.

"I'm not a baby, I don't need a fucking escort" Firkle exclaimed defensively.

Pete rolled his eyes, "It's fucking dark outside you dick and I walk past your house on my way home anyway" he sighed, "You gonna be ok Henrietta?" he asked quietly, knowing she could explode any second.

Instead, she nodded and exhaled her smoke, "Yeah just make sure Firkle doesn't get abducted on his way home" she joked to indicate wasn't that angry. They both nodded and made their way downstairs.

Surprisingly, Pete didn't ask about what happened during the walk home.


	7. Coffee Scented Confrontation

**So yesterday I had an unexpected visit from a friend I haven't seen in a while and she stayed till late last night as she recently had a bad experience and I was** ** _trying_** **(** **and failing** **) to help her. But anyway here's the promised chapter, it's pretty short but it** ** _is_** **a key plot milestone. I feel like I've made Ike a little** ** _too_** **out of character here but it kind of explains it I just hope it's easy t understand. I don't know if this chapter flows nicely as I had a lot of mini breaks while writing it and I haven't read it through... Please review or PM me your criticisms as I would appreciate it!**

 **Also Kaz the king I really appreciate your reviews and feedback, I always look forward to what you have to say as I know this story isn't very popular yet so I don't get much opinions on it. I write a lot in my spare time (writing approx. 8 fanfics at the minute as well as some original stories) so I'm glad it's paying off!**

 **I have added one sentence to this chapter as I didn't like how cold Ike sounded. He really isn't some psycho he's just not great at explaining his emotions or understanding them. Also there was a typo or two I corrected. I haven't got any more of this story written so I'm hoping to add at least one chapter today as I'm in the mood to write! Thank you to anyone who stuck around this long and I added a paragraph to my bio you should all read. Send me story suggestions or pairings you would like to see stories of and I'll do my best!**

Firkle groaned as he woke up and glanced at his phone through blurry eyes. 11:47am.

 _That's better._

He yawned and stretched his arms before climbing out of bed, he still had the same shirt on he wore to Henrietta's but didn't bother changing it. He pulled on some skinny jeans and staggered into the bathroom.

He laughed when he saw his reflection, he'd forgotten to clean his face before going to sleep so his makeup was smudged in all directions.

 _I look like fucking Rorschach_

After he scrubbed his face clean he applied some fresh eyeliner, not bothering to wear lipstick, and headed downstairs for some much needed coffee.

There was a note on the table when he entered the kitchen,

 _Gone to work, will pick coffee up on my way home. Love you - Mum_

"Fuck" Firkle muttered once he had read the note, he checked the coffee jar to be sure and was met with the sad reality that yes, they were out of coffee.

"Tweeks it is" he mumbled to himself as he returned to his room and pulled on some black boots before grabbing his jacket and leaving the house.

As soon as he stepped into Tweek Bros. his senses were flooded with the aroma of fresh coffee. Gravitating to the counter, he ordered a large black coffee and moved to sit at his usual secluded booth. There were only a few people in at the moment, an old couple having an early lunch, a young guy in a business suit focused intently on his laptop, and a woman on her phone accompanied by a little girl excitedly eating some waffles.

 _At least it's quiet today_

He occupied himself with his phone until his coffee arrived and instantly began sipping at it, regardless of how it scolded his mouth like lava.

He was about a quarter of the way done when someone sat in the seat across from him, he sighed assuming it was one of the goths and was unpleasantly surprised when he saw that it was his self proclaimed stalker.

"What the fuck do you want now?" he grumbled angrily, glaring at Ike's smiling face.

"Good morning to you too princess" Ike grinned happily, watching as Firkle's glare grew impossibly sharper.

"Call me that again and I'll fucking break your arms" he snapped viciously. Feeling the urge to smoke he took a large mouthful of his liquid heroin, hoping it would calm him somewhat.

"Ok ok sorry, seems someone is grumpy in the morning" Ike rolled his eyes but continued smiling and he rested his elbows on the table and propped his head up.

"Why are you still here? Can you kindly piss off?" he asked rhetorically, more of a threat than a suggestion.

"Oh but" Ike turned his head, "I've already ordered" he finished with a smirk as the blond server placed a cup down on the table with shaky hands, almost spilling it in the process. "Thanks Tweek" Ike said appreciatively, his expression changing completely as he smiled politely in the servers direction.

 _Fucking poser_

"Whatever" Firkle said bitterly, purposefully avoiding acknowledging the Canadian further, accepting that Ike wasn't going to move.

They drank in silence for a while till Firkle's eyes flicked briefly over to the other boy, Ike was staring at his face with a strangely vacant expression which was broken as a smile now spread across his features. "Aha caught you looking!" he tittered excitedly.

Firkle rolled his eyes and turned to confront him, "What do you want from me? Why are you suddenly stalking me?" he interrogated seriously.

Ike casually shrugged one shoulder, "I've always been watching you, I was just waiting for you to notice" he said cryptically before taking a sip of what Firkle thought looked like the sweetest drink he'd ever seen, it was topped with a mountain of cream, marshmallows and chocolate powder.

"What the _fuck_ do you mean 'you've always been watching me'?" Firkle asked, frowning and forgetting about his coffee completely.

 _Since when is 'always'?_

"Well I've been observing you since kindergarten" he answered as if it would answer all of Firkle's questions. It didn't so Firkle rose an eyebrow asking him to elaborate. "Basically, people are boring" Ike started, pushing his drink to the side as if preparing for a long conversation, "Since I can remember I've found people to be incredibly… Well, dull." he said it like he was talking about a tv show he'd seen, ignoring Firkle's confused expression he continued. "Everyone was _so_ predictable, I thought school would be different but instead it was even worse. The same people doing the same things _every day_ and being a 'genius' didn't help because the work was too easy. Then one day I saw a boy dressed in all black wearing makeup and smoking behind the school, it was the first time I had seen something so… _Interesting_ " he said a smile playing on the edges of his lips, Firkle noticed a shine to Ike's eyes as he explained. Seemingly excited at the memory.

"To children, even geniuses, make-up was for ladies and smoking was for adults. So, naturally, I watched you whenever I saw you. You were just so _different._ I could rarely guess what you were going to do next, you seemed to have no care for what anyone thought of you including the teachers. From an early age I've known how people wanted me to act, how I was supposed to behave, so I did as expected. I smile when people talk to me about their tedious lives, I'm polite and 'outgoing' enough as not to arouse suspicion. One of the only positive things about continuing to go to this asinine sheep pen is being able to watch you occasionally" He ended his rant with a small smile that looked _genuine_.

Firkle couldn't help but stare for a moment while he registered everything Ike had said. He felt his cheeks warm up and his heart rate increase slightly at the smooth words that almost sounded like a love confession. There was one main thought going through Firkle's head.

 _That is the most non conformist thing I've ever heard._

"Erm" Firkle started lamely, not knowing exactly how to comment on all the information. "So like… your whole school life has been fake?" he asked tentatively.

"In a way yeah I guess, I can't wait to leave that's for sure" he scoffed, picking his drink up once again. "I only got this drink because I knew you'd be utterly disgusted. The face you made when Tweek gave me it did not disappoint" he added with a smirk.

 _He's so fucking manipulative_

Firkle frowned again, he had so many questions but didn't know how to start. "Why now? I mean, what do you think will come of you cornering me and stalking me all the time other than me hating you more?" he quizzed, glancing at his own drink which had now cooled too much to be enjoyed.

Ike grinned and leaned over the table slightly so his face was closer to Firkle's, "Well I was hoping we'd date" he said lowly so the others in the shop wouldn't hear.

Firkle's face flushed and his eyes widened, "what the fuck are you talking about?! Why would we _date_?!" he whispered erratically, spitting the final word as if it burnt his tongue.

Ike cocked his head to the side, "Well 'cos I love you of course, you're one of the only people who has remained interesting for this long" he stated obviously, as if he wasn't expecting the reaction he was getting. Growing quieter he added, " Besides that's the only explanation for these strange… feelings I've been having about you lately, I guess that's why I finally approached you… I just can't seem to ignore you any longer" he almost exhaled the last part of the sentence as he stared straight into Firkle's eyes. It looked like he had more he wanted to say but didn't know how.

Now, that _was_ a love confession.

 _What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck_

Firkle was slightly panicking, his mind flashed back to what happened in the bathroom and his cheeks flushed darker.

 _I thought he was fucking joking around trying to annoy me! What is fucking happening right now?!_

"You look surprised?" Ike sat back in his chair, "Think about it, in the meantime I plan on _bonding_ with you more so look forward to it!" he stood then and shuffled out of his seat, "See you around _princess_ " he added with a wink before turning and leaving the cafe.

 _He wants to go out with me but I hate him. He's been obsessed with me for years but I hate him. He's_ not _a conformist but I still hate him. He says he… loves me... Why the fuck would he be interested in me?! I'm far from attractive and the only conversations we've had consisted of me insulting him. I don't fucking know what to think_

He sat in shock for what felt like hours while the gears turned in his head, trying to work out what was happening. He'd never really socialised with anyone other than the goths so someone wanting to _date_ him was something he never expected to happen, especially so soon.

Firkle stood suddenly and left the shop in a hurry, pulling his cigarettes out of his pocket as soon as his boot touched the snowy ground. He lit his cig with shaky hands and took a deep drag as his legs worked on autopilot to take him home.


	8. A Meal With Mother

**Ok so hello, yes I'm alive and no I haven't given up on these stories. I haven't written anything for over a year but I've had a pretty eventful year and my life is going great right now. I found this fic in my documents and decided I couldn't just** ** _leave_** **it. It might take a while because I'm very busy nowadays but I will continue this. ALSO I have managed to recover** ** _Undead, English and Ravens_** **! So I can post a new chapter in that too! this one is short but I'm hoping to post another by the end of today. Don't forget to review and send any pairings you'd like to see stories for, I already have a few written of other pairings (e.g. Bunny and Stolovan) but if you have any requests that would be fun!**

Once Firkle reached his house he continued up to his bedroom, sat on his bed and lit another cigarette.

" _I love you of course"_

Firkle groaned and roughly rubbed his head with both hands causing his hair to go completely askew. His leg bounced anxiously as he continued to smoke his cigarette, hoping the nicotine would calm his nerves but with little relief.

Just as he docked out his smoke and felt ever so slightly better his phone vibrated in his pocket causing him to nearly jump out of his skin.

 _I don't have fucking time for you guys right now!_

He thought bitterly before yanking his phone out of his pocket.

 _Unknown: Hope you're doing ok babe, don't worry you don't have to date me right now, besides you need to get to know me first :)_

Firkles cheeks coloured and he angrily typed out a reply.

 _You: Who says I'm going to date you?! Fuck off!_

He could almost feel Ike smirk at his reply an he hated himself for it. Of course he couldn't date that freak, dating is for conformists anyway. He huffed and kicked off his boots before scurrying back to sit against his pillows on his bed and dragging his laptop onto his legs. "I need some stress relief" he muttered to himself before opening his secret folder.

He clicked his favourite one and glanced at the door as the graphics loaded up.

The music to _Call Of Duty_ played quietly and he sighed before signing in to his account.

"Time to kill some noobs" he smiled.

A few hours passed of him ultimately destroying every player he came across until he saw a familiar name run past him, "no fucking way, I've totally got him this time" he said to himself, unconsciously moving closer to the screen as he stalked the player.

He smirked as he rounded a corner, certain he was going to make the kill, only to be met with a quick knife and a respawn screen. " _FUCK THIS STUPID GAME_!" he shouted angrily before slamming his laptop shut. "Ugh! God WHY is he impossible to kill?!" he quickly climbed to his feet moving as far away from the offending piece of technology that he could.

"Are you ok Firkle?" He heard his mothers warm voice call up the stairs.

 _I didn't even know she was back home, maybe she can take my mind off of him…_

"Yeah just lost a stupid game" he spat bitterly while walking down the stairs.

His mother smiled as he entered the kitchen and sat beside her, "Well I know we are a great team at this game so care to help an old lady out?" she asked jokingly, her bright smile decorating her face. Firkle smiled back at her and looked at the screen of her tablet.

They completed 3 rounds before Firkle's stomach growled loudly.

His mother laughed and grinned at him, "I know it's been a while but do you want to go out somewhere to eat together? We could go anywhere you like?" she asked with fake confidence, not breaking her smile. Firkle knew that ' _a while'_ actually meant months and he felt a little sad thinking about how much he'd been neglecting his mother. He flashed her the brightest smile he could muster and nodded his head.

Her eyes glistened, full of joy at his reply. "Great! There's a new place I've been passing on my way to work that I've been dying to try, we can go there! ..Unless you have somewhere you'd like to go?" she added just in case.

Firkle smiled "Nope, that sounds fine, I'll just be happy to get away from South Park for a while"

 _And away from Ike_

They both got ready and headed to the restaurant. It was a nice place Firkle thought, classier than anywhere you'd find in South Park but not so posh as to make you wear formal clothes.

"Ooh this is nice, I bet the food's good too" his mother chimed excitedly as they took their seats.

His mother was right, the food was good and they both enjoyed themselves, although Firkle would never admit it.

He tried extra hard to keep up a conversation and could see how happy he was making his mother, he even forgot about his troubles for a while.

On the drive home his mother gushed over how nice the food was and how they just _had_ to go again, Firkle agreed but was focusing mainly on a game on his phone when it vibrated in his hand.

 _Unknown: Can't wait to see you at school tomorrow x_

Firkle blushed and locked his phone screen.

 _Why's he being so forward now?! It's so damn embarrassing!_

Once they arrived home Firkle said goodnight to his mother and thanked her for the meal before going to his room.

 _I'll just act the same as I always do. Ignore him and insult him._

He decided to make a start on the story he was planning on writing his mother for her birthday.

 _I'll make it gay and sappy, she'll love it_

He smirked as he opened a fresh document, swiftly typing out the story he had already planned in his head.

His mind kept wandering back to the Canadian but he chastised himself and tried to focus on writing. He managed to write the first 3 chapters before deciding to try get some sleep.

That night his dream was riddled with images of blue hoodies, familiar grins and least favourite laugh. He woke up the next day embarrassed and angry.


	9. Ike Loves Bathrooms

**Wow 2 chapters in 1 day after a 2 year hiatus? Amazing! The last chapter was basically filler so I tried to do some more relationship development here and made way for the next chapter to bring them closer. I'm not really feeling this story and keep losing the personalities for the characters so sorry if they keep changing. I guess it'll come together eventually. As always thanks for reading I hope you enjoy!**

Firkle reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and got dressed.

 _Ugh Monday_

He chose to just wear a random black t shirt with some crucifix design on the front and a pair of black jeans today. He couldn't be bothered showering so he simply went over his eyeliner from the da before and went downstairs. He was greeted by his mother rushing around the kitchen.

"Oh Firkle, good morning honey, I just brewed some coffee for you but I have to shoot, I forgot I had to be at work early today!" she said quickly while grabbing her bag and jacket, "I'll be home later than usual so the key will be in the letterbox, I love you have a good day at school!" before Firkle could wake up enough to reply she kissed his head and hurried out of the door.

Firkle looked around sleepily and poured himself some coffee. _7:22am_ the microwave read. "Only 3 minutes till Michael arrives" he sighed. He finished his coffee quickly then lit his morning cigarette while he trudged back upstairs to retrieve his bag.

By the time he slinked back downstairs Michael had arrived and was beeping his horn.

Firkle pulled his boots on and made his way to the car.

"Morning…" he mumbled as he climbed in the herse. Michael's reply was a short, low grumble in his throat.

 _Clearly not in a good mood._

Firkle sighed and leaned against the window with his eyes closed. He must have dosed off because the car door opening beside him startled him awake.

"Hey guys" Pete yawned, taking his seat next to Firkle.

"Hi" Firkle replied, this time Michael didn't bother.

They drove in silence until they reached school, not bringing up Henrietta's absence.

Firkle pulled out a tattered notebook once he was in class and began planning the next chapter of his mother's story. Sooner than he thought, the bell rang and the teacher started talking. Feeling like something was missing he glance up and his eyes were drawn to Ike's seat, but it was empty.

 _I wonder where he is…_

He thought Idley before frowning and going back to his story.

The class went by quickly with no sign of the Canadian, not that Firkle cared, and he felt accomplished that he had planned the next few chapters of the book. No actual school work having been done of course.

Firkle was more bored than usual and the day flew past like a blur. Eventually it was lunch and he was walking down the corridor towards the back of the school when someone grabbed his arm, his head shot up in surprise as he was yanked into a bathroom.

He flinched expecting it to be his usual bullies but as he slowly opened his eyes he was met with the perfect teeth of a grinning Ike Broflovski.

 _I should have known._

"Did you miss me this morning?" he asked happily, a little too close to Firkle's face for his liking.

Firkle glared, "Of course I didn't, I was glad to have some peace for once" he spat, hoping to annoy Ike but instead received a low chuckle that made his stomach twinge.

"Well I sure missed you…" he said lowly, gently taking Firkle's hand in his.

Firkle blushed and pulled his hand away. He tried to stare angrily into Ike's eyes but instead made himself uncomfortable and had to look away.

 _Fuck why does he have to look at me like I'm something amazing_

Ike grinned noticing that Firkle hadn't actually pushed him away for once.

"So what have you been up to today?" he asked casually, keeping his close distance.

This took Firkle by surprise.

 _He's really asking such a generic question? He didn't even call me some stupid fucking name for once, thank God_

Firkle lied to himself about the slight disappointment he was feeling.

"Nothing as usual" he answered lamely. Ike nodded causing his black fringe to barely brush against Firkle's forehead.

 _He smells nice…_

Firkle hated himself for it but he didn't want Ike to move away, not that he'd ever tell him that.

"Interesting…" Ike lied, "So what are you doing after school?" he asked nonchalantly.

 _Is it me or did he move closer?_

"I don't know" he answered honestly. Trying his best to ignore Ike's piercing gaze and the heat radiating from the closeness of his skin.

"You should invite me over" he said confidently, once again a wide grin adorning his face.

"Why would I do that?" Firkle asked angrily, frowning as best he could.

Ike pretended to think for a moment, "Because we can play video games together" he smirked knowingly.

 _There's no way he'd know I play video games…_

"Why would I do that? Video games are lame" he lied effortlessly.

Ike rose his eyebrows, "Perfect! Then I can teach you, I'm sure you'll be a natural" He grinned, "I'll walk home with you after school" he decided one sidedly.

"I never agreed" Firkle stated, crossing his arms. He instantly decided that was a mistake because now Ike's chest was in constant contact with him, he could feel the warmth through his blue t shirt.

"You don't have to agree you just have to know that we will have fun and you won't regret it" Ike smiles warmly, actually looking like he was excited to spend time with Firkle.

"I'm not giving you permission to come… but I can't help it if you follow me home" he relents, deciding there was no use in arguing.

"Yay!" Ike exclaims in glee, "It's going to be so fun! Do you have any games?" he asks excitedly, noticing the reluctant look on Firkle's face he adds with a wink, "I won't tell anyone if you do".

Firkle rolls his eyes and nods, accidentally brushing against Ike's fringe again.

"Ok I'll see you after school" Ike said quietly before swiftly pecking Firkle on the cheek and disappearing before the latter can react.

Firkle's eyes widen and his cheeks feel ablaze as he stares at the bathroom door in shock. His hand quickly moves to wipe the offending kiss from his cheek and he inspects himself in the mirror, cursing his red tint.

 _What the fuck was that?! How dare he! Disgusting! At least it wasn't on the lips… What would that have felt like I wonder… No! I will not think like that!_

He runs the tap and scrubs his cheek clean, ignoring how fast his heart is beating in his chest.


End file.
